C4ADS understands that illicit actors must embed themselves into the licit system (aka the economy). In doing so, illicit actors leave a data trail that can be tracked using global PAI.

What does that mean in practice? If a weapons trafficker wants to move their goods from country A to country B, they require transportation, access to the financial system, and communication.

In order to operate in these industries, they also likely need to establish a corporate entity. That corporate entity may purchase the inputs needed to create the weapons or just purchase the weapons outright.

It may also need to lease a shipping container to move the products. It then will need a mode of transportation: moving the products on an aircraft, vessel, train, or truck.

Moving this product in this way between international borders requires stopping at ports of entry and exit.

Upon delivery to the end user, the weapons trafficker may be paid in cash or through the financial system. Even if they are paid in cash, the weapons trafficker won’t want to keep their revenue in a mattress under their mattress. Instead, they will want to continue to grow their business and amass wealth, possibly by purchasing assets like property.

At each stage of this (albeit simplified) process, there are opportunities to identify and collect data from the public source, like trade, port, property, and corporate records. All of which provide the legal evidence to target and dismantle the weapons trafficker – and ultimately any illicit actor.